Pidge's Poppies by Jan Andrews illustrated by Timothy Ide

Pidge and Henry (a pair of pigeons) live near the Canberra War Memorial. Henry explains:

"It's where people remember those who died in wars."

Pidge remembers stories from her ancestors about the war in 1939 and the war in 1914 and the way one of his long-ago family members received the Dickin Medal.

"If the telegraph lines from the battlefront were bombed, the pigeons could still carry messages from soldiers back to headquarters. They saved many soldiers' lives."

Pidge and Henry hear the guide talking about war heroes and poppies. It is time to build their nest and the scattered poppies left by visitors are perfect. Is this a true story? It certainly feels like one and the back cover says yes, it is so here is a missed opportunity - this book would be so much better with some back notes and more details about these true events at our Canberra War Memorial. Luckily it was easy to find this information.

Photo from the Australian War Memorial

Each day the pigeon has been flying down to the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier to steal poppies, carefully crafting a nest in the lead-up to Remembrance Day in an alcove above the stained-glass window of a wounded Australian soldier. Read more here.

Watch a video from Channel Seven (23 seconds).

The illustrations in this book by Timothy Ide are terrific. I especially like the way the war memory pages are presented in sepia. He is the illustrator of another wonderful book - Tom the Outback Mailman. 

Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher. Further reading from the Australian War Memorial.

I wonder why/how this 2024 book was missed by the CBCA 2025 Book of the Year judges. This is a book that could be shared with your youngest students who are sure to be amazed at the contribution of pigeons in many past wars.

Ide’s illustrations show a deep understanding of the text. The multi-layered illustrations create the visual story with much skill. The illustrations really shine a light on the story. The pigeons are lifelike in appearance and movement. The colours used vary according to the time frames. I love the sepia effect when the story travels through the world wars. The vivid red of the poppies sing and pop on the spreads they appear. Buzz Words

Look for these books too:

Lofty's Mission

Spies in the Sky

This final one might be hard to find in Australia but I saw it at the splendid D Day Museum in Portsmouth.

Angelo by David Macaulay

Blurb: High above the rooftops of Rome, Angelo begins his work restoring the façade of a once glorious church. There, among the sticks and feathers, he discovers a wounded bird. Angelo becomes the bird’s reluctant savior. As the church nears completion, Angelo begins to worry about the future of his avian friend. “What will become of you? Where will you go . . . where will you . . . live?” he asks her. Through his artistry as a master craftsman he answers the questions for his humble friend and assures that he, himself will not be forgotten.

While restoring the front of a church an old master plasterer rescues an injured pigeon and over time he gently restores her health. Meanwhile we watch as he works every day to restore the fragile decorations on this old building. He works through many years until eventually he dies but in a beautiful twist he does ensure someone will notice that his pigeon friend once lived there. He makes a nest and some feathers from stucco and in the illustration we see Sylvia (the pigeon) using this nest to raise her chicks.

Here is a video reading of Angelo.

In an old Italian town Angelo, a plasterer and restorer of buildings, rescues an injured pigeon and coaxes her back to health despite ‘his professional dislike for pigeons’. In turn, though she is a bit skittish, the pigeon becomes a constant support and companion as the old man struggles up and down the scaffolding finishing work on a beautiful old church he hopes will be his crowning glory. David Macaulay’s wonderfully intricate illustrations of Italian architecture and life seen from every perspective and the quiet story of mutual concern make this book quite special. Readings Melbourne

Here are some other reviews:

• "Tender and poignant . . . Drawn skilfully and freely in pen and ink, washed with shades of blue and terracotta, the pictures are full of events and details beyond the story, and depict the rooftops, the restaurants and the light of Italy in a way that makes you long to be there Nicolette Jones - The Sunday Times
• "Macaulay refuses to be confined by the conventions of the picture book." Booklist
• "Unassuming but affecting, this tale of friendship is bound to be popular with a wide audience." The Bulletin
• "The warm, offbeat story of camaraderie and nurturing is told in subtly humorous, succinct text, but it's Macaulay's winning illustrations that steal the show." Booklist
• "These intricate drawings are suffused with soft autumnal colours that perfectly complement the beautiful story." The New York Times Book Review

David Macaulay is an award-winning author and illustrator whose books have sold millions of copies in the United States alone, and his work has been translated into a dozen languages. Macaulay has won numerous awards including the Caldecott Medal and Honor Awards, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Christopher Award, an American Institute of Architects Medal, and the Washington Post–Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award. 

I picked up this book for two, or perhaps three reasons. I should start by saying this is an old book from 2002 and so it is no longer in print. Now back to my reasons. Firstly, this book is by an author/illustrator who does beautiful, detailed drawings. I loved owning his book The Way things Work in my former school library. Secondly this book was set out in a library display about Italy and all things Italian and our IBBY Congress for 2024 is in Italy and thirdly I watched the Teacher-Librarian relocate this book to her popular display with books that feature pigeons which is a topic enjoyed by the children in her school. 

Then when I read this book I discovered it was set in Italy and as you read this post I am about to arrive there! I am saying this book is set in Florence but most reviewers list the setting as Rome. So here is the page from the book plus the back cover and then an image of Florence and an image of Rome.

Florence

Rome

David Macaulay books:

Starring Walter Pigeon by Suzanne Houghton

 

Walter Pigeon knows he is different. He loves movies and hopes to be a star one day. He spies a poster for a movie starring Walter Pigeon entitled Ace detective Jack Parker. Yay - he is in a movie! Walter assembles his kit and sets off to solve a mystery. Greer, a meek little pigeon, explains she has lost her laugh.

"Greer couldn't explain what it looked like ... 'but I know what it feels like ... It's like the tickly fizzy bubbles from a glass of lemonade ..."

"My laugh makes me heart light up and brightens my day."

"My laugh turns my frown upside down. It makes me tingle all over. My laugh makes me feel happy."

How will Walter ever solve the mystery of the missing laugh?

Adults will also enjoy the name choice - Walter Pigeon (1897-1984) was an actor who was "known for his "portrayals of men who prove both sturdy and wise".  There is also a fun visual twist on the last page.  I discovered this book (which is sadly now out of print but might be in some Australian school libraries) because my friend sets out fabulous book displays every week or two. This book was part of her pigeon books display and three borrowers took it home in June which is why she regularly displays her books so that borrowers can find them!

Here are a set of discussion questions to use with Starring Walter Pigeon. This is the first book by Australian author/illustrator Suzanne Houghton. Here are some of her other titles and you can see her work on Instagram:

Where are all the Christmas Beetles; Life in a Hollow

Companion books:

The Case of the Missing Tarts

Spies in the Sky by Beverley McWilliams illustrated by Martina Heiduczek

 

Before you read this book I suggest you might try to find these picture books and also do some reading about the Dickin Medal. 

32 pigeons received the Dickin Medal–the animal equivalent of a Medal of Honor–for their service in World War II.

Here is my post about War Animal Remembrance Day - 24th February. 

Lofty's Mission

And after reading Spies in the sky try to find this one:

I Spy A Bletchley Park Mystery

And for a different perspective on animals and war this is another terrific story:

The Umbrella Mouse

Royal Blue is a racing pigeon. He comes from a long line of champions but he is living through the dark days of World War II and so his destiny is to do more than race, he is needed for the war effort. Blue is taken from his comfortable loft and sent to an army base where he is given training from aircraft. He will be used to take messages back to the UK if a plane crashes or lands in enemy territory and later he is used in Fance as a way to gather intelligence about the movements of the German army. 

"Between April 1941 and September 1944, pigeons were parachuted in baskets into the occupied territories of France, Belgium and Holland. Attached to their baskets were questions to gather information from those living under occupied rule. This scheme was called Operation Columba. Of the 16,000 used in this campaign, less than one in eight returned."

You can read chapter one here. Here is a link to the teachers notes. 

I adopted a rescued pigeon around 10 years ago and while I was searching for a name, I came across a list of pigeons awarded the Dickin Medal for their service during World War Two. I knew pigeons had played a part in the war, but until then I was unaware of the National Pigeon Service or how many lives were saved by these remarkable birds. The more I looked into the history, the more fascinated I became. I wrote an article called ‘Feathered Heroes’ for The School Magazine, and I knew then that I would love to develop the ideas into a children’s book. Beverley McWilliams (Novel Insight subscription needed to read this article). 

Spies in the Sky is another moving and eye-opening tale based on a true story, this time focussing on the brave pigeons tasked with carrying messages during World War II. The story is told directly from Royal Blue’s perspective, immersing readers in his experience and inspiring deep empathy for the bird. McWilliams clearly has a sincere love for her subject, and it’s brilliantly contagious in this compassionate tale. You can’t help but come away with a heightened respect for and understanding of pigeons and the enormous sacrifices they have made to aid humans in need. Better Reading

It is clear Beverley McWilliams did a huge amount of research for her book. I recently listed to a radio program where they talked about the way Pigeons were launched out of planes high in the sky inside paper bags. This is not mentioned in Spies in the Sky but I found it fascinating. 

Even though the Army had designed special drop boxes for pigeons, it was discovered that they could be released from planes in thin, paper-like bags and survive just the same. A slit was cut into a bag, the pigeon placed headfirst, and then thrown from high altitudes at 375 miles per hour. The bird would emerge from the bag and fly down to a better altitude before returning home. Military Person.com

Image Source: National Air and Space Museum

I wonder why Martina Heiduczek is not named on the cover or title page.  She has added some terrific illustrations to this book.

In 2022 I read another book The Reindeer and the Submarine by Beverley McWilliams (Pantera Press). I found Spies in the Sky was easier to read and more engrossing and I think Beverley McWilliams newest title we see listed as a CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Notable title for 2024 - Younger Readers. 

The case of the Missing Tarts by Christee Curran-Bauer

Dear son, 

I baked your favourite dessert, my famous jam tarts. They were made with love and, of course, my secret ingredient! Enjoy them with your friends at headquarters. Love Mama xoxo

Oh no, someone has stolen the tarts. Now it is up to our three intrepid detectives - Martin P Sweets, Felix Danish, and Ralph Custard to solve the crime and find those tarts! 

Meanwhile, we do see the thief but his identity is hidden. He is determined to discover the secret ingredient - but what could it be? Acorn, birdseed, apple juice, mayo, cinnamon? NO no no.  

Book seller blurb: The Pigeon Detectives are looking forward to devouring a delectable platter of jam tarts-until the tasty treats are stolen from right under their beaks! With tummies grumbling, the PPD are on the hunt for clues, but can the detectives recover the tarts in time before they are all eaten-or worse-stale? As the list of suspects grows longer, our heroes wonder if they'll ever catch the thief jam-handed.

This series starter is at once a classic mystery and an animal story, set in a park with local critters. That balance would seem difficult, but it’s achieved here with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor and plenty of puns. The narrative, told through a mix of comic book–style panels and prose, is brought to life with crisp-lined cartoons with mostly pastel tones and a bit of film noir thrown in when the mood is right.  An enjoyable homage to the dramatic mystery. Kirkus

This is the first book in a series called Pigeon Private Detectives. The second book - The case of the Poached Egg will be published early in 2024. 

If you decide to buy The Case of the Missing Tarts for your young reading companion or library you might like to shop around. I found one supplier who listed this book for AUS$30 and another for AUS$22. It is a hardcover, full colour book but the higher price means many libraries would not be able to consider purchasing this book which is a pity because it is terrific. 

Companion book:

Jeremiah in the Dark Woods

I also recommend looking for these other terrific funny detective stories for younger readers:

There are others in this series

Murilla Gorilla

I Spy: A Bletchley Park Mystery by Rhian Tracey

 

Bookseller blurb: Twelve-year-old Robyn has grown up in Bletchley Park, where her father works as a driver. When she's not at school, there's nothing she likes more than helping her dad in the garages. Then the war begins and everything at Bletchley changes. Robyn is assigned to help with the carrier pigeons that take messages to the Allies. But first, she must sign the Official Secrets Act and is ordered not to leave the grounds of the park. While Bletchley is buzzing with people recruited for the war effort and all eyes are on the skies, Robyn becomes convinced that there's something sinister going on within Bletchley Park itself. Together with her friends Mary and Ned, Robyn resolves to uncover the enemy in their midst . . .  This is a part of World War II UK history that is probably unfamiliar to many young readers of books about WWII.  

It is my blog policy to only talk here about books I have loved or at least enjoyed reading. I didn't really enjoy I Spy mainly because Robyn is such an unappealing child and so I became annoyed at the way she just kept 'breaking rules'. One Good Readers reviewer said "One of the first thoughts I had of young Robyn was that she would not be a good role model for other children. Ignoring her parent's rules and the strict rules and regulations of the Bletchley Park security officers. Plus, one of the first things she does is steal a bike, and yes, she gets a reprimand, but still."

I do like the cover and I always on the hunt for good stories about World War II, but I took over a week to read this book - it just didn't hold my attention. I did enjoy reading about the pigeons and the women workers at Bletchley Park. I was fairly sure Robyn was on the wrong track in her identification of the spy in their midst, so the ending was both expected but also a surprise. 

Listen to an audio sample from the first chapter.

There are three main historical topics mentioned in this book:

• Pigeons and their use to send and deliver messages during WWII
• The work at Bletchley Park to break German codes and especially the use of the Enigma machine
• The request by Winston Churchill to move and save precious artworks taking pieces from big cities such as London to more secure and secret locations (sorry this is a story spoiler).

Here are some other books about pigeons and World War II

Here is a splendid book about the way art was protected during the war

By Ash, Oak and Thorn by Melissa Harrison

Ash, oak and thorn were at the world's dawn. 

Rowan and Yew will make it anew ...

Ash is where Burnet, Moss and Cumulus have made their home. They are Hidden Folk - tiny human-like beings who live in harmony with their natural environment and the wild animals that inhabit their tiny corner of England. Then one stormy night Ash (their tree) is hit by lightning and the trunk splits apart. They three friends have lost their home but there is an even more pressing danger. Cumulus, the oldest of the group, is starting to disappear. Burnet and Moss desperately want to help their friend so all three decide it is time to seek help. They hope to find others of their kind - other Hidden Folk - older Hidden Folk - who may have an answer and a solution to this terrible situation. 

The trio journey to Oak where they find Sorrel. The oak tree is in a beautiful place called Folly Brook. Meeting Sorrel is wonderful because now the three friends know they are not alone in the world but this issue of disappearing is spreading. Burnet's feet are invisible. It is now even more urgent to continue their journey to the Mortal's Hive. 

Travelling by converted rollerskate and later on the backs of three friendly pigeons they read their destination. Thorn is a space in a park in a city where mortals live. It is a dangerous place as you might expect but it is also the place where the group of four find more of their kind. These little people are slightly different from Burnet, Moss and Cumulus. They call themselves Hobs. 

"Hobs are simply another kind of Hidden Folk who prefer to live indoors. Mortals generally call them borrowers or hobgobblins, or bwbach in Wales and bauchan in Scotland."

There is a strong environmental message in this book which at first I found a little overly didactic but I now think this was necessary as a way to create the contrast between the idyllic world previously inhabited by Hidden Folk who have existed for thousands of cuckoo summers and the destruction wrought by humans. A cuckoo summer is the way the Hidden Folk measure time. One cuckoo summer is one human year. 

It is interesting to reflect on the way we select books to read or buy. I was visited Beachside Bookshop a few weeks ago and I spied this book - By Rowan and Yew. The appealing cover caught my eye.  Reading the blurb on the fly leaf I discovered this book is "an enchanting sequel to By Ash, Oak and Thorn " so I asked the bookseller, Libby, to order the first volume for me. 

You can read an extract from By Ash, Oak and Thorn here. And an extract from By Rowan and Yew here. Here is a video review of By Ash, Oak and Thorn. 

When I bought the two books home I made another discovery. These two books (the correct term is duology) are based on or inspired by or a modern re-retelling (sorry I am not sure which of these applies) of an old book called The Little Grey Men by BB.  BB is actually Denys Watkins-Pitchford and The Little Grey Men won the 1942 Carnegie Medal. I have now added The Little Grey Men to my enormous 'to read' list. 

Here is the Penguin Random House blurb for The Little Grey Men: On the banks of the Folly Brook, inside an old oak tree, live the last three gnomes in Britain: Sneezewort, Baldmoney, and Dodder. Before their fourth brother, Cloudberry, disappeared upstream seeking adventure, they lived happily and peacefully among their woodland friends. But now spring has come and the brothers start thinking about spending the summer traveling upstream to find Cloudberry. Before long they’ve built a boat and set off for unknown lands, where they find themselves involved in all kinds of adventures with new friends (wood mice, water voles, badgers) as well as with enemies (two-legged giants).

And here is the Chicken House blurb for By Ash, Oak and Thorn: Three tiny, ancient beings – Moss, Burnet and Cumulus, once revered as Guardians and caretakers of the Wild World – wake from winter hibernation in their beloved ash tree home. But when it is destroyed, they set off on an adventure to find more of their kind, a journey which takes them first into the deep countryside and then the heart of a city. Helped along the way by birds and animals, the trio search for a way to survive and thrive in a precious yet disappearing world ...

Now onto the environmental conservation messages in this book. They make sense to me after even more research because the author Melissa Harrison and, not by coincidence the original author Denys,  are both naturalists. Melissa Harrison's previous adult titles include these:

Here are a few text samples showing the environmental focus by Melissa Harrison. 

"Bright spring sunshine sparkled on the Folly Brook, which flowed merrily amid water crowfoot and flag irises and made a wonderfully soothing sound. A drake mallard swam part, the sun flashing off his beautiful green head, followed by a swan and her fluffy grey cygnets, webbed feet paddling fast underwater ... On the banks cow parsley and water forget-me-not were just coming into bloom, while a willow branch overhanging the water made a perfect perch for a pair of azure kingfishers ... "

"Every day, more butterflies tumbled and fluttered among the wild flowers, and more summer birds - chiffchaffs, whitethroats, blackcaps and willow warblers."

Her descriptions of the English countryside, birds and other animals reminded me of The Keeper of Wild Words. And the relationship between Moss, Burnet and Cumulus reminded me of the Isobel Carmody series which begins with The Red Wind. I also thought of the Poppy series by Avi. If you like books which feature small human-like creatures you could also look for the four book series by Annie O'Dowd which begins with Left Shoe and the Foundling. 

I also need to make special mention of the food in this story which is as delightful as the delicious food in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Foods such as elderflower cordial, beechnut flapjacks, conker bread and honey cake.  And this book contains the most delicious hugs between the three friends who have such a beautiful relationship. 

"Burnet shuffled over a bit in the magpies nest and the two friends gave each other a long hug. It was one of those hugs that has so many warm feelings in it that it actually heals both the huggers a little bit. Both of them were smiling, and had their eyes closed."

I was interested to read the wide range of reviews on Goodreads ranging from one star to five! 

Here are a few of the books I mentioned in this post:

King of the Sky by Nicola Davies illustrated by Laura Carlin

"King of the sky would go to Rome by train, then race back a thousand miles and more!"

Blurb: Starting a new life in a new country, a young boy feels lost and alone - until he makes friends with an old many who keeps racing pigeons. Together they pin their hopes on a race across Europe and the special bird they believe can win it: King of the Sky (Re Del Cielo).

June 13th is Pigeon Appreciation Day and my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has been gathering books from her extensive and rich library collection ready for a display. Take a look at this Pinterest collection of pigeon books. 

King of the Sky was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2018. 

This touching, quiet tale about a boy who is a long way from home is full of the atmosphere of a dusty, rainy ex-coal-mining town, lit with accents of yellow hope. Davies considers the strangeness of new places, especially their smells, and the simple acts that can make us feel part of a new community. Book Trust

This book is outstanding in every way. Deeply emotive hand-lettered text, joins with delicate soft-coloured fine illustrations by multi-award winning Laura Carlin, to make this a highly collectable children’s book. Filled with beauty and strong messages, there is nothing to fault here. It’s one of those books that draw a sigh of utter satisfaction from the reader as it is pressed to their chest. Kids' Book Review

Carlin’s smudgy, near-transparent mixed-media illustrations, depicting soot and sun and shadow, capture the essences of the old and new homelands, and a number of wordless spreads emphasize the differences, and distances, between them. Quiet, tender, and profound, this window into immigration offers an intimate understanding of just what it means to come home. Horn Book

With a group of older students you could compare the way Laura Carlin depicts the coal mining town in this book with the work of Sydney Smith in his book Town is by the Sea. 

The word choices in this book are truly special:

"Little houses huddled on the humpbacked hills. Chimneys smoked and metal towers clanked."

"Mr Evans' face was crumpled and he could hardly walk but when his birds flew he smile like springtime."

"Its head was whiter than a splash of milk, its eye blazed fire."

Last week I talked about The Remarkable Pigeon by Dorien Brouwers and in that post I mentioned King of the Sky which I had read many years ago in the wonderful city library in Austin Texas so I was pleased to be able to borrow this from a library this week. Here are some varies of pigeons:

When you look inside this book the end papers are sure to make you gasp! They echo the chart above and are filled with pigeons of every colour.